By Amaechi Agbo

Manchester United have officially sacked manager Michael Carrick following a comprehensive internal review conducted by the club’s hierarchy over the past 48 hours. The 45-year-old former United midfielder was informed of the decision face-to-face at the club’s Carrington training complex on Thursday morning.

The dismissal brings an abrupt end to Carrick’s permanent tenure at Old Trafford, just five months after he signed a two-year contract on May 22, 2026. Carrick was initially appointed on an interim basis in January following the departure of Ruben Amorim, earning widespread praise after guiding the Red Devils to 11 wins in 16 matches, a third-place Premier League finish, and UEFA Champions League qualification.

However, the momentum from last season evaporated during a disastrous start to the 2026–27 campaign. United have won just one of their opening 10 Premier League fixtures—marking the club’s worst start to a domestic league season in four decades. With only eight points collected from a possible 30, United currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, languishing in the relegation zone during the November international break.

Results across all competitions have been equally troubling, highlighted by a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat away to Como and a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth last month. Although United showed brief signs of resilience in a 3-2 European comeback win over AS Roma and a dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday—where Patrick Dorgu netted a stoppage-time equalizer—the club’s leadership concluded that a change was necessary.

Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox flew to Monaco on Wednesday for pre-planned summit talks with minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, where they formally recommended Carrick’s dismissal. Following approval from Ratcliffe and majority owners the Glazer family, Berrada and Wilcox returned to Manchester to deliver the verdict to Carrick in person after he arrived at Carrington at 7:50 a.m. on Thursday.

Manchester United are moving swiftly to finalize a successor before domestic action resumes with a daunting trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on November 22. United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the overwhelming favorite to take over at Old Trafford.

Reports indicate United have already reached a verbal agreement in principle with the former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager, though the club will need to trigger a release clause of roughly £7 million to extract him from his contract with U.S. Soccer. Pochettino is expected to remain with the U.S. squad for their upcoming international fixtures against Haiti before officially taking the reins in Manchester.

With Carrick’s departure, Manchester United will now be searching for their third manager in as many seasons as they attempt to rescue their domestic campaign and climb out of the bottom three.